The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1887-06-08
THREE OLD GENERALS.
Sherman, Sheridan and Rosecrans a
They Appeared at a Reunion.

THREE OLD GENERALS.
Sherman, Sheridan and Rosecrans as
They Appeared at a Reunion.
Washington Letter to Montgomery Advertiser
The noted generals of the army are fast
passing away, and we will soon have no
more such reunions as that of the Army OF
the Cumberland which took place here last
week. There is scarcely q noted general
now living whose hair is not gray. Logan,
Hancock, Mcclellan and Grant have
died within two years, and the wrinkles
are last creeping around the eyes of Gen.
-eral Sherman. Sherman's hair is still
brown, however, though his high fore
head is fading of into badness, and his
once short, red beard is as white as snow. I
watched him closely as he spoke to the SOL
diers, and he is the same blunt, talented
Tecumseh that he was in the early sixties.
He stood upon the platform part of the
time with one hand in his pocket, and,
awkwardly as he gestured, he seemed per-
fectly at home. He is nearly as tall as his
brother John, who sat behind him, and he
is, like all his tribe, good sDeech-maker.
Slender, plainly dressed with high Henry
Clay collar and plain face showing oct
above it, his blue eyes sparkled with good
feeling as he talked, and he looked, as he
is, in full sympathy with the world. No
man in the United States enjoys life better
than William Tecumseh Sherman. There
is no age in his feelings, ana he is as warm.
hearted and impulsive now as a boy. He
likes to kiss pretty girl as well as when
he was counting the daughter of Tom
Ewing, then Secretary of the Interior I'M
der President Taylor. He would not have
the presidency If 1t were offered TO HIM,
and he has characterized White House life
as worse than the darkest pictures of
Dante's Inferno"
L.
herman, is also young in appearance. His
ia . shines with good humor and ne LOOKS
like fat, stumpy, gray-haired boy as he
moves about Washington dressed in the
most common of business clothes, and pay
ing no regard to personal appearance.
There is no snobbishness about Rosecrans,
and he is hail fellow well met with every
one. He is slxty-eight years old, and is a
much younger Nottingham than Senator
Edmunds, who is full ten years younger.
Rosecrans is, however, a queer combina-
tion- He was brave officer and he made q
good reputation in Congress, but he
has never gotten over his removal
from the command of the Army of the
Cumberland, and one of the most pathetic
sights of the reunion was his explanation
to his old troops as to how his removal took
place. He told the boys how Thomas had
not, as was stated by the late book pub
lished on the subject, thought himself su-
perior to Rosecrans, and how General Gar
field had told him at the request of
Thomas that he (Thomas) would not serve
In the Army of the Cumberland under any
other commander than him, and that he
was perfectly satisfied to have him as his
chief. Rosecrans described the scene in
the tent at Chattanooga when ne received
his dispatch relieving him of his command
and when be announced the fact to Thomas.
His story has not been published in the
newspapers, but it was to my mind the
most interesting part of the meeting. at
was at night" said he, "that received the
order, and 1 sent for General Thomas. He
came alone to the tent and took his seat. |
handed him the letter. He read it, and as
he did so his breast began to swell and he
turned pale. He did not want to accept
the command, but we agreed, upon con.
sideration, that he must do so, and told
him that 1 could not bear to meet my
troops afterward. 4 want to leave said l.
before the announcement Is made and
Will start in the early morning. / packed
up that night, and the next morning about
O'Clock / rode away through the fog
which then hung over the camp. The best
of relations prevailed between General
Thomas and myself, and as to the state
nent that he considered himself my super.
1or' and obeyed orders only from sense OF
duty, assure you 1t was not SOL
As Re secrans bowed to the audience and
stepped back from the platform there was
not q man present who did not feel sorry
for him, and he was so much affected him.
self that his voice trembled as he uttered
his closing words. He talked in low tone
and his accents were almost pleading.
General Sheridan was a prominent figure
throughout the reunion. He has grown
much fatter since he rode that dashing ride
to Winchester, and his hair, which was
black then, is now frosted silver. Sheri
dan has big head, big body and short
legs He looks larger sitting down than
when standing. and when be has a statue
1T will undoubtedly be placed upon horse.
b ok. He looks row like q well-to-do
French count who has q goodly estate aud
who's cellars are full of rare old Burgundy.
he ihght have stepped out of one oil
Rubens pictures, his complexion is 50
horid, his eyes so blue and his hair 50
white. He has the form of the great
Napoleon, though his abdomen Is not
30 large as Eapoleon's was during
his latter days. General Sheridan is not
over five feet five inches high, and his
shoulders are very broad and very full.
His chest Is well thrown out, and his large
round head is fastened to the trunk by 9
very short, fat, ford neck. A line drawn
from the tip Of his nose through to the
back of bis head would measure full twelve
inches, and his red forehead wrinkles like
q seersucker coat when ne becomes an
noyed, as he was somewhat during his pre-
siding over the reunion. Sheridan was
hardly at home when speaking. His trade
~ war, not oratory, and during this meet
ing he forgot the benediction and made
several other little mistakes, which were
gracio usly pardoned by the audience. He
Is, however, very popular in Washington,
and makes good head for the army. He
Is democratic In his ways, bat lives In the
fashionable part of the city.